Freshfields Animal Rescue is facing a funding crisis, which is threatening our mission to rescue and rehome abused, neglected and unwanted animals.

Due to the never-ending stream of distressed animals who need us, we are always full to capacity with many more animals waiting to be admitted.

Despite the soaring costs and intense financial pressures this brings, most of the time we survive and thrive, thanks to your support over the past 40 years.At this moment however, Freshfields is experiencing a serious cash flow crisis through no fault of our own. Like many charities, we rely on Legacies and Gifts in Wills for around 30% of our funding.

There is currently a national backlog in dealing with legacies. Solicitors are up to 4 months behind, with over 250,000 probate cases waiting to be processed.

There are ever-increasing demands on our resources, as more and more animals are brought to our doors or, like Millie, literally abandoned on our doorstep every day.

We urgently need your help right now to see us through this critical time.

Emma Jensen, Fundraising Manager, said:“This is a worrying situation for us, and a real shame that this has happened in our 40th anniversary year. The last time we launched an appeal like this was February, 2017. You got us through that time. Please, can you make a special donation to get us through this time? We need to be here for the next 40 years to help the hundreds of animals and birds who need Freshfields every day”.

Many of our supporters will have read about Millie, tied up and abandoned in the road opposite the rescue centre. Millie was in poor health, scared, alone, helpless and vulnerable.

Thanks to you, Millie is now warm and safe with us, cared for and cherished whilst we help her to take the next steps towards healing in mind and body. For probably the first time in her life, Millie is learning what it feels like to be loved.

We need to buy food and medicines for over 600 animals like Millie, who get the care and love they so desperately need. We need to pay our bills, and avoid the need to close our doors to new admissions. It’s an ongoing battle, and we’re currently at crisis point.Please donate what you can, and if possible please consider setting up a regular donation which will help us to avoid this situation happening again. Never think your donation is too small to make an impact – every penny makes a difference.

Emma said:“We would be grateful if everyone reading this could share this appeal with friends, family and colleagues and PLEASE, make a direct request for them to donate!You can donate at our special Animal Care Crisis Appeal page on Total Giving at this link:

https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/animal-care-crisisYou can also donate at our website www.freshfields.org.uk

If you would prefer to speak to someone and donate by telephone, you can call us on Liverpool 0151 931 1604 or our Wales Centre on 01286 880808.Thank You. We are so very grateful for your support”

Dog licences should definitely be re-introduced, £50:00 would be a decent fee + the licence would have to be shown before any dog was bought. May not be 100% but at least it might partially ensure only someone who really wanted a dog and could afford to look after one would buy one.

Dog licences should definitely be re-introduced, £50:00 would be a decent fee + the licence would have to be shown before any dog was bought. May not be 100% but at least it might partially ensure only someone who really wanted a dog and could afford to look after one would buy one.

Imagine the number of dogs that would be abandoned on the streets or simply disposed of if a £50 licence fee was introduced.

Imposing a fee for owning an animal does nothing to address cruelty, which is what this article is about.

Dog licences cost more to administer than they raised. People who mistreat animals are certainly not going to worry about whether or not they've got a licence.

The simple answer is to charge more for the licence and crack down on irresponsible owners. Just like parking, it could become another cash cow for local authorities. You could have wardens equipped with scanners to check for microchips, with an on-the-spot fine for non-compliance.

All these things are possible, but local authorities just go for easy targets like parking.

The simple answer is to charge more for the licence and crack down on irresponsible owners. Just like parking, it could become another cash cow for local authorities. You could have wardens equipped with scanners to check for microchips, with an on-the-spot fine for non-compliance.

All these things are possible, but local authorities just go for easy targets like parking.

The more you charge for a licence the greater number of dogs that would be abandoned by people who simply wouldn't be prepared to pay.

As for irresponsible owners, you won't find many of them taking their microchipped dog on a jolly jaunt. Most of their dogs will never see anything outside their owners' kitchens.

The more you charge for a licence the greater number of dogs that would be abandoned by people who simply wouldn't be prepared to pay.

As for irresponsible owners, you won't find many of them taking their microchipped dog on a jolly jaunt. Most of their dogs will never see anything outside their owners' kitchens.

The government tactic in these cases is to price people out of the market, as with cigarettes, which has been a big success.

Sure, there would be a transition period where the chavs abandoned their weapons (because that's what they are) which is why the licence would fund rescue organisations. It would take time to implement, but the majority of responsible dog owners pick up after their dogs and I for one never thought that would happen.

We all pay far too much for car insurance partly because the responsible majority are funding the scrotes who drive around with no insurance.

Whenever problems like this occur, we need positive action, not the 'oh it'll never work' mentality. Local authorities would embrace these schemes as long as they saw them as an 'earner'.

The more you charge for a licence the greater number of dogs that would be abandoned by people who simply wouldn't be prepared to pay.

No, they would have to produce a licence before they purchased the dog in the first place.

Yes - I would see dog ownership as a similar system to that of owning a car. You need a licence, a registration (microchip) and an MOT (regular vaccinations etc) as a requirement of the system would be that you have to register with an accredited vet.

The local authority would make a fortune, all because of the irresponsible few, just like it is with cars.

Responsible dog owners would know that they would only ever pay the minimum, because they won't get fined for not having a licence, log book and MOT. You could even factor in compulsory pet insurance to rake in even more cash.